the certain knowledg of it. That there Ch. 2. was such an Island as Jamaica, no Eu. ropean could ever reasonably deny : And yet that it was precisely fituated in fuch a Latitude, was water'd with those Rivers, cloth'd with these Woods, bore this Grain, produc'd that Plant, no English-man before the Difcovery of America, could pofitively affirm.

15. Thus God is pleas'd to reveal to us in Scripture feveral wonderful Matters of Fact, as the Creation of the World, the last Judgment, and many other important Truths, which no Man left to himself could ever imagine, no more than any of my fellow-Creatures can be fure of my private Thoughts: For who knoweth the things of a Man 1 Cor.2.11, Save the Spirit of a Man that is in him? even fo the things of God knoweth none but the Spirit of God. But as fecret things belong unto the Lord; fo thofe things 29. which are reveal'd, belong unto us and to our Children. Yet, as we difcours'd before, we do not receive them only because they are reveal'd: For befides the infallible Teftimony of the Revelation from all requifite Circumstances, we must

See

Deut. 29:

Sect.II fee in its Subject the indisputable Characters of DIVINE WISDOM and SOUND REASON; which are the only Marks we have to diftinguish the Oracles and Will of God, from the Impoftures and Traditions of Men.

16. Whoever reveals any thing, that is, whoever tells us fomething we did not know before, his Words must be intelligible, and the Matter poffible. This RULE holds good, let God or Man be the Revealer. If we count that Perfon a Fool who requires our Affent to what is manifeftly incredible,how dare we blafphemously attribute to the most perfect Being, what is an acknowledgid Defect in one of our felves? As for unintelligible Relations, we can no more believe them from the Revelation of God, than from that of Man; for the conceiv'd Ideas of things are the only Subjects of Believing, Denying, Approving, and every other Act of the Understanding: Therefore all Matters reveal'd by God or Man, must be equally intelligible and poffible; fo far both Revelations agree. But in this they differ, that tho the Revelation of Man fhould be thus qualifi'd, yet he may

impose

impose upon me as to the Truth of the Ch. 2. thing; whereas what God is pleas'd to discover to me is not only clear to my Reafon, (without which his Revela tion could make me no wifer) but likewife it is always true. A Man, for Example, acquaints me that he has found a Treafure: This is plain and poffible, but he may easily deceive me. God affures me,that he has form'd Man of Earth: This is not only poffible to God, and to me very intelligible; but the thing is also most certain, God not being capable to deceive me, as Man is. We are then to expect the fame degree of Perfpicuity from God as from Man, tho more of Certitude from the firft than the last.

17. This Reafon perfwades, and the Scriptures exprefly speak it. Those Prophets or Dreamers were to be fton'd to Death that fhould go about to feduce the People from the Worship of One God to Polytheism, tho they fhould confirm their Doctrine by Signs and Wonders. And tho a Prophet Spoke in the Name of the Lord, yet if the thing

The Service of many Gods.

prophe

Deut. 13.

1, 2, 3.

21, 22.

Luke 1. 34, 35.

Sect.II. prophefi'd did not come to pafs, it was to be a rational Sign he spoke prefumptuDeut. 18. only of himself, and not of God. It was reveal'd to the Prophet Jeremy in Prifon, that his Uncle's Son would fell Jer. 32.7.8. his Field to him, but he did not conclude it to be the Word of the Lord till his Kinsman actually came to ftrike the Bargain with him. The Virgin MARY, tho of that Sex that's leaft Proof against Flattery and Superftition, did not implicitly believe he should bear a Child that was to be call'd the Son of the moft High, and of whofe Kingdom there fbould be no end, till the Angel gave her a fatisfactory Answer to the ftrongest Objection that could be made: Nor did fhe then conclude (fo unlike was fhe to her prefent Worshippers) it fhould unavoidably come to pafs; but Ver. 38. humbly acknowledging the Poffibility, and her own Unworthinefs, fhe quietly wifh'd and expected the Event.

2 Tim.

13.

1

18. In how many places are we exMat. 7.14. horted to beware of falfe Prophets and 3. Teachers, Seducers and Deceivers? We Tit. 1. 10. are not only to prove or try all things, 1 Theff. 5 and to hold fast that which is beft, but 1 Joh.4.1. alfo to try the Spirits whether they be of

21.

God.

God. But how fhall we try? how Ch. 2. fhall we difcern? Not as the Horfe and Mule which have no Understanding, but Pfal. 32.9. as circumfpect and wife Men, judging Eph. s.15. what is faid. In a word, it was from 1 Cor. 10. clear and weighty Reasons, both as to Fact and Matter, and not by a blind Obedience, that the Men of God of old embrac'd his Revelations, which on the like Account we are willing to receive of their hands. I am not ignorant how some boast they are strongly perfwaded by the illuminating and efficacious Operation of the Holy Spirit, and that they neither have nor approve other Reasons of their FAITH But we shall endeavour in its proper place to undeceive them; for no Adverfary, how abfurd or trifling foever, ought to be fupercilioufly difregarded by an unfeign'd Lover of Men and Truth. So far of REVELATION; only in making it a Mean of Information, I follow Paul himself, who tells the Corinthians, that he cannot profit them except he fpeaks to them by Revelation, or by 1 Cǝr14.6. Knowledg, or by Prophefying, or by Doctrine.

CHAP.